Despite the slow economic recovery that the United Kingdom is currently facing, one bright spot that is helping to boost retail sales throughout the country is ecommerce. Consumers are increasingly going online to browse for and purchase products, and these online shopping behaviors are expected to continue in 2013.

Internet Retailer reports that a study by Capgemini revealed that by the end of this year, ecommerce is forecasted to jump by 11.5 percent from 2012’s totals, accounting for £87 billion ($138 billion). Last year, purchases made through the internet in the U.K. reached approximately £78 billion ($123.7 billion). The research also found that over the past 12 months, retail sales made through smartphones and tablets increased by 304 percent, meaning that mobile commerce will play an important role in the growth of ecommerce over the next year, the source notes.

The U.K. holiday season saw a large amount of ecommerce transactions, writes Internet Retailing. A large number of retailers throughout the country stated they experienced a significant jump in purchases made through the internet, as consumers went online to buy products and services for the gift-giving time of year.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, February 1st, 2013 at 6:11 am .